1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of vacuum cleaning systems in which a central motor, suction, waste catching unit and disposal unit serve as the central power and suction source. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of improved vacuum cleaner acoustic dampening systems which serve to substantially reduce the noise level generated by the suction source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, vacuum cleaners are well known in the art. One example of prior art vacuum cleaning systems is a built-in central vacuum cleaning system manufactured by M. D. Manufacturing Co. The system comprises a central motor, suction, waste catching unit and disposal unit which serves as the central power and suction source. The system is attached through a suction hose into a central suction gathering duct which in turn extends through a network of suction ducts, a respective one of which terminates in a vacuum inlet in the various rooms of a home. When not in use, the vacuum inlet is covered by a plate. In use, the vacuum inlet is opened and the vacuum hose is plugged into the inlet. The central power and suction source is activated and the suction force draws in dirt and dust through the vacuum cleaner nozzle attached at the end of the vacuum hose.
One major disadvantage of any vacuum cleaner known in the art is the creation of a very substantial amount of noise by the suction source. In most conventional vacuum cleaners known in the art, the noise level generated from the suction source lies in the range of 85 to 96 decibels. It is almost impossible to comfortably work in such locations when the vacuum cleaner is running, as the high noise level is sometimes deafening and at best extremely irritating.
The following eight (8) prior art patents are found to be pertinent to the field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,475,815 issued to Burd on Jul. 12, 1949 for xe2x80x9cVacuum Cleaning Devicexe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cBurdxe2x80x9d);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,034 issued to Ikezaki et al. on Oct. 14, 1986 for xe2x80x9cElectric Cleaner With Minimum Noisexe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cIkezakixe2x80x9d);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,309 issued to Emdy on Jul. 3, 1990 for xe2x80x9cBuilt-In Vacuum Cleaning System With Improved Acoustic Damping Designxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cEmdyxe2x80x9d);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,753 issued to Herron on Nov. 20, 1990 for xe2x80x9cVacuum Cleaner Noise Reducing Arrangementxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cHerronxe2x80x9d);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,463 issued to Attard et al. on Mar. 28, 1995 for xe2x80x9cNoise Damped Canister Vacuum Cleanerxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cAttardxe2x80x9d);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,869 issued to Smith et al. on Apr. 2, 1996 for xe2x80x9cHigh Volume, High Performance, Ultra Quiet Vacuum Cleanerxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cSmithxe2x80x9d);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,417 issued to Kim et al. on May 7, 1996 for xe2x80x9cSilencing Device For Vacuum Cleanerxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cKimxe2x80x9d); and
8. U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,798 issued to Morxc3xa9n et al. on Apr. 14, 1998 for xe2x80x9cDevice For A Vacuum Cleaner And A Method For Cooling A Motorxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cMorxc3xa9nxe2x80x9d).
Burd discloses a vacuum cleaning device. It comprises a conical sheet metal into which the dust and debris is located and a motor with multiple fan blades located at the bottom of the device. The airflow goes directly from the conical receptacle to the multiple fan blades of the motor and does not serve to circulate around the motor to cool it.
Ikezaki discloses an electric cleaner with minimum noise. It comprises a noise suppression arrangement for minimizing the noise generated by the exhaust from the electric air blower.
Emdy discloses a built-in vacuum cleaning system with an improved acoustic damping design. The canister of the central power and suction unit rests on the floor. The motors of the central power and suction unit are enclosed within an interior chamber which includes at its lower end a baffle supporting an acoustic damper and the interior chamber is vented through exhaust ports, where the tips of the armatures are separated from the remainder of the armatures and motors by the baffle and the tips of the armatures extend into another chamber which further includes a second acoustic damper within the chamber and further includes openings for permitting cooling air to enter the chamber.
Herron discloses a vacuum cleaner noise reducing arrangement. It comprises a noise reduction compartment formed in its housing through which the exhaust air flow is caused to travel and a two part cartridge which is internally formed with interleaved sets of baffle plates and is installed within the noise reduction compartment. The cartridge is arranged so that the exhaust air flow passes therethrough and is internally configured to interfere with the free flow of the exhaust.
Attard discloses a noise dampened canister vacuum cleaner. It comprises a baffle which reduces the noise generated by the vacuum cleaner. The baffle is interposed between pump outlets and air outlets of the canister in a manner which provides little resistance to a flow of air from the pump outlets to the air outlets of the canister.
Smith discloses an ultra quiet vacuum cleaner having a bag cavity, a motor/blower chamber connected to the cavity by a flexible coupling and an active, adaptive noise cancellation controller so configured to quiet the exhaust of the air used to cool the motor/blower unit. Fast compensation and feedback compensation allow use of a straight short duct for superior cancellation performance.
Kim discloses a silencing device for a vacuum cleaner. It comprises dampers for absorbing operational vibrations of a suction motor. The operational noises of the suction motor are intercepted and suppressed by a middle case, a lower case, a bottom case and a top case. The exhaust noises caused by exhaust air flow are repeatedly absorbed and suppressed by a plurality of exhaust ports. The exhaust air flow is also dispersed so as to suppress the exhaust noises.
Morxc3xa9n discloses a device for a vacuum cleaner and a method for cooling a motor. The motor of the vacuum cleaner is cooled by an air stream independent of a primary dirt laden air stream. The vacuum cleaner includes a turbo-fan unit including an impeller driven by an electric motor which is located after a dust bag, seen in the direction of air flow. The impeller is driven at a speed in excess of 50,000 RPM by the electric motor and produces a primary stream of air which flows around the motor and cools the motor.
It is highly desirable to have a very efficient and also very effective design and construction of an improved vacuum cleaner with improved exhaust means and substantially improved acoustic dampening means to significantly lower the noise level generated by the suction source.
The present invention is an improved vacuum cleaner with improved exhaust means and improved acoustic dampening means. The present invention relates to an improved design for the suction mechanism of any vacuum cleaner, which improved design provides significant acoustic dampening to substantially reduce the noise level generated from the suction mechanism while it is sufficiently cooled. Noise that radiates from the motor is continually sucked back into the motor. In effect, the noise is bent by using suction so that the noise is muffled by being pulled back into the motor.
It has been discovered, according to the present invention, that if one or more motors is housed in a lower portion of a canister of a vacuum cleaner and thereby operates inside of a vacuum cleaner""s negative pressured plenum chamber, then the noise level generated from the motors is very substantially reduced.
It has additionally been disclosed, according to the present invention, that if the air is sucked into a vacuum cleaner""s negative pressured plenum chamber of a vacuum cleaner and gets sucked into the cooling impellers and then into the center impellers of the motors and is moved out from the exhaust pipe, then the noise level generated from the motors is reduced while also cooling the motors.
It has further been discovered, according to the present invention, that by providing a deflector or baffle which is located around the motors which therefore causes air to go into the cooling impellers and the sucked air is forced to go into the motors, then the noise level generated from the motors is very substantially reduced while the motors are sufficiently cooled.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improvements in the suction mechanism of any vacuum cleaner which will very substantially reduce the noise from the suction mechanism.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dampening means which will accommodate conventional power unit canister designs and further accommodate conventional configurations for the placement of the motors and armatures.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide substantially enhanced noise dampening means to the suction mechanism while at the same time providing sufficient venting to assure that the armatures of the motors will be cooled by incoming cooling air and the hot air from the motors can be efficiently exhausted.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide one or more motors which is housed in a lower portion of a canister of a vacuum cleaner and operate it inside of a vacuum cleaner""s negative pressured plenum chamber, so that the noise level generated from the motors is very substantially reduced.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide suction such that the air is sucked into a vacuum cleaner""s negative pressured plenum chamber of a vacuum cleaner and gets sucked into the cooling impellers and into to the center impellers of the motors and is caused to be moved out from the exhaust pipe, so that the noise level generated from the motors is reduced while also cooling the motors.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a deflector or baffle which is located around the motors which therefore causes air to go into the cooling impellers and the sucked air is forced to go into the motors, so that the noise level generated from the motors is very substantially reduced while the motors are sufficiently cooled.